Nozzle structure for air trunk of traveling cleaner



April 19, 1966 J. F. KING, JR 3,246,854

NOZZLE STRUCTURE FOR AIR TRUNK OF TRAVELING CLEANER Filed March 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR James F KUU /rv BY w dbqgmxfim ATTORNEYS April 19, 1966 J, K|NG, JR 3,246,854

NOZZLE STRUCTURE FOR AIR TRUNK OF TRAVELING CLEANER Filed March 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,246,854 NOZZLE STRUCTURE FOR AIR TRUNK 0F TRAVELING CLEANER James F. King, In, Winston-Salem, N.C., assignor to The Bahnson Company, Winston-Salem, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Mar. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 355,816 4 Claims. (1. 239547) The present invention relates to nozzles for installation on air trunks forming a part of traveling cleaner apparatus for textile machines such as spinning frames and the like, the traveling cleaner being arranged to move longitudinally of the machine in order to deliver air streams from the nozzles in the direction of the machine so as to blow oif any lint which may tend to collect on various parts of the machine.

The nozzles are distributed along the length of the air trunk so as to reach certain specified parts of the spinning frame and of particular importance are the nozzles which direct fairly large quantities of pressurized air at the top and bottom tapers of the bobbins in the creel, and on the back side of the drafting system on the frame. It is important that the air from these particular nozzles have the proper direction and this is especially so as regards the nozzle for blowing on the drafting system since this nozzle blows directly over the top of the rolling clearer which is generally installed on the frame. This rolling clearer picks up cotton fibers from the front rolls of the drafting system and these fibers become wrapped around the rolling clearer and thereby captured. If the pressurized air from this nozzle, which issues at a relatively high velocity, does not have the proper direction, it may strike the front roll clearer thus stripping off the waste which has accumulated upon it and depositing it into the drafting system causing damage to the yarn and/or possibly also breaking the yarn at that point.

The primary object of the invention is to therefore provide an improved construction for a nozzle attachment which may be easily adjusted with respect to its direction of blowing.

Another object is to provide an improved construction for an adjustable nozzle structure which can be easily and economically mounted on a flexible air trunk.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for a nozzle having a very wide range of longitudinal as well as angular adjustment and which can also be varied to handle various quantities of The invention is characterized in particular by a nozzle assembly comprising an elastic nozzle plate secured over an opening cut into the wall of the air trunk, this nozzle plate including a preferably elliptically configured hole through which a nozzle tube is forced, the hole being smaller than the nozzle tube so as to establish an air seal around the periphery of the tube, and there being a trunnion type support and securing means for the nozzle tube so as to enable the nozzle to be adjusted to the desired angular blowing direction.

The foregoing as well as other objects and advantages inherent in the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of one suitable embodiment and from the accompanying drawings which illustrate it. In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of the complete nozzle assembly in position on the air trunk;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the nozzle assembly in perspective; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing the various com- "ice ponents of the complete nozzle assembly prior to installation in the wall of the air trunk.

With reference now to the drawings, numeral 1 designates part of the air trunk downwardly through which pressurized air is delivered for outward flow through the various nozzles provided on the trunk. A typical construction for a traveling cleaner having air trunks of the type with which the present invention is utilized is shown and described more completely in a co-pending application Serial No. 315,515, filed October 11, 1963. The trunk is made from a flexible fabric material, and the principal components of the nozzle which are assembled and secured to the trunk wall are shown most clearly in the exploded view of FIG. 4. These are an oblong, rounded inner frame plate 2 which includes an oblong opening 2a having rounded ends. The plate 2 can be made of any suitable material such as, for example, aluminum. Next to the inner frame plate 2 is an oblong nozzle seal plate 3 having rounded ends, and which is made from an elastic material, preferably a tough but flexible plastic or rubber composition. Seal plate 3 includes a centrally located hole 3a having a preferably elliptical configuration and oriented with the long axis of the ellipse arranged normal to the axis of the air trunk 1. Seal plate 3 serves not only as a trunk protector and flange gasket but also as an air seal when the tubular nozzle member 4 is inserted through the nozzle into the desired position. The elliptical hole 3a is expanded by pressing in the nozzle tube 4 so that the peripheral edge of the hole forms a long and air-tight seal around the tube so as to permit the tube to be adjusted through a wide angle without seal leakage.

On the exterior surface of the trunk wall 1 is a gasket 5 made from rubber or like sealing material which is also oblong with rounded ends and which includes an oblong opening 511 having rounded ends. Placed next to gasket 5 is an outer oblong, rounded frame plate 6 made from a metallic material, such as aluminum, which is of the same size and configuration as the inner frame plate 2 .but which in addition to the oblong opening 6a also includes two ear portions 6b which serve as trunnion supports to establish a horizontal trunnion axis normal to the longitudinal axis of nozzle tube 4. Each ear part 617 includes a hole 60 for receiving a trunnion bolt 7 which also passes through an aligned aperture in the wall of nozzle tube 4. Installed on the trunnion bolt 7 between the ear 6b and tube 4 is a Shakeproof type of lock washer 8. A large rigid washer 9 is located on bolt 7 next to the inside surface of nozzle tube 4 which serves to flatten that portion of the tube and transmit a force over the entire surface of the lock washer. Washer 9 is followed by another lock washer 10 and finally a standard acorn or capped nut 11. The internal-external lock washer 8 has radially disposed teeth on both its inner and outer peripheries in order to more securely lock the nozzle tube 4 at the desired angle.

Nozzle tube 4 is preferably made from a resilient plastic composition but which is nevertheless suificiently rigid to maintain its cylindrical configuration. The nozzle outlet end 4a can, as shown, terminate in an edge normal to the tube axis and the air quantity handled by the tube can be changed to a large degree by choice of the angle at which the air enters the inlet end 4b as well as by a change in the angle of the tube itself. This latter is, of course, accomplished by loosening cap nuts 11, adjusting the angle of the tube to the desired blowing direction and re-tightening the nuts. In the illustrated embodiment, the inlet edge 41) makes an angle of approximately 60 with the longitudinal axis of tube 4 but this can be varied as desired by changing the angle of the out. In the position indicated, nozzle tube 4 is subjected to both the static pressure of the air and the impact pressure of the moving air stream. If the inlet end 4b were to be turned semi-downstream by rotating tube 4 through 180 about its own axis, the impact pressure would decrease and the tube would handle less air. Thus the novel nozzle tube assembly provides a very simple and yet most effective way of adjusting the amount of air to be handled by the tube as well as positive control over its direction. Also the nozzle tube, being easily replaceable, can be furnished in a variety of lengths to take care of variations in the required blowing distance depending upon the particular design of the spinning frame, or a long tube may be furnished and cut to the proper length on the job.

As will be evident from FIG. 2, the oblong holes inthe inner and outer plates 2 and 6, as well as in the outer gasket 5 are of like configuration and size and are also of the same size and configuration as the opening 1a cut into the wall of the air trunk to receive the nozzle assembly. Also it is preferred that the outer rubber gasket 5 and inner rubber seal plate 3 protrude, as shown in FIG. 2, a small distance beyond the edges of metallic plates 2 and 6 so as to protect the fabric wall of trunk 1 from damage that could perhaps otherwise be caused byabrasion.

The nozzle assembly is installed by first cutting the hole 1a in the trunk wall, then assembling the various components 2, 3, 5 and 6 in their proper positions at the inner and outer sides of the trunk with the latter sandwiched between them, and then riveting into place by rivets 12 which pass through a plurality of openings 13 spaced around the components. Nozzle tube 4 is then pushed through hole 3a in the seal plate to the proper position, the trunnion bolts 7 are then inserted through the ears 6b and" the wall of tube 4, and finally tightening these bolts by screwing on cap nuts 11.

The novel nozzle assembly in accordance with the in vention can be installed on an air trunk having any type cross section.

In the illustrated embodiment, the air trunk is seen to have a cylindrical configuration and thus they inner and outer metallic frames 2- and 6 are given a curvilinear configuration matching that of the trunk wall. If the trunk has one or more flat walls such as, for example, one having a rectangular configuration, the frames 2- and 6 would, of course, be planar.

In conclusion, while I have described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of my improved nozzle assembly, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and ararngement of the components without, however, departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a nozzle assembly for an air trunk for use on traveling cleaners for textile machines, the combination comprising an elastic nozzle plate, means securing said nozzle plate over an opening in the trunk wall, a nozzle smaller opening in said nozzle plate so as to effect a stretching of the opening and establish an air seal around the periphery of said tube, and horizontal adjustable pivotal mounting means on said air trunk for said nozzle tube and positioned normal to the longitudinal axis of said tube whereby said tube may be adjusted to various air discharge directions.

2. In a nozzle assembly for an air trunk for use on traveling cleaners for textile machines, the combination comprising an elastic nozzle plate, means including a frame plate securing said nozzle plate over an opening in the trunk wall, a nozzle tube, said nozzle tube projecting through a relatively smaller opening in said nozzle plate so as to eifect a stretching of the opening and establish an air seal around the periphery of said tube, said frame plate including spaced ear portions having aligned apertures therein establishing a horizontal trunnion axis for said nozzle tube normal to the longitudinal axis thereof, and trunnion bolts passing through said ear portions and aligned apertures in said nozzle tube for fastening said nozzle tube in place at a desired angular position relative to the trunk axis.

3. In a nozzle assembly for an air trunk for use on traveling cleaners for textile machines, the combination comprising an inner frame plate, an elastic nozzle plate, an outer frame plate, means securing all of said plates together over an opening in the trunk wall such that the marginal portions of said trunk wall opening and said nozzle plate are secured between said inner and outer frame plates, a nozzle tube, said nozzle tube projecting through a relatively smaller opening in said nozzle plate so as to effect a stretching of the opening and establish an air seal around the periphery of said tube, said outer frame plate including spaced ear portions having aligned apertures therein establishing a horizontal trunnion axis for said nozzle tube normal to the longitudinal axis thereof, and trunnion bolts passing through said ear portions and aligned apertures in said nozzle tube for fastening said nozzle tube in place at a desired angular position relative to the trunk axis. 4. A nozzle assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein the opening in said elastic nozzle plate prior to stretching by insertion of said nozzle tube has an elliptical configuration oriented with the major axis thereof transverse to the axis of said air trunk.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 302,223 7/1884 Niedringhaus 222574 2,086,724 7/1937 McAulay 239587 2,933,891 4/1960 Britt 239-587 2,946,521 7/1960 McEachern 239-547 2,975,805 3/1961 Horn 239'587 M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

EVERETT W. KIRBY, Examiner. 

1. IN A NOZZLE ASSEMBLY FOR AN AIR TRUNK FOR USE ON TRAVELING CLEANERS FOR TEXTILE MACHINES, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING AN ELASTIC NOZZLE PLATE, MEANS SECURING SAID NOZZLE PLATE OVER AN OPENING IN THE TRUNK WALL, A NOZZLE TUBE, SAID NOZZLE TUBE PROJECTING THROUGH A RELATIVELY SMALLER OPENING IN SAID NOZZLE PLATE SO AS TO EFFECT A STRETCHING OF THE OPENING AND ESTABLISH AN AIR SEAL AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID TUBE, AND HORIZONTAL ADJUSTABLE PIVOTAL MOUNTING MEANS ON SAID AIR TRUNK FOR SAID NOZZLE TUBE AND POSITIONED NORMAL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID TUBE WHEREBY SAID TUBE MAY BE ADJUSTED TO VARIOUS AIR DISCHARGE DIRECTIONS. 